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Trying to figure out the potential energy of a hanging rope

It is said that my answer was temporarily deleted. Now, I put a lot of effort into writing the answer and I'd like it restored, how should I edit it so that it will be?

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The second part of the comment that comes with the close notice:

I'm temporarily deleting this in accordance with our homework policy. Please don't post complete answers to the underlying problem in homework-like questions.

is self-explanatory. You need to edit down your answer and take out some details, and then plead you case to reopen.

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    $\begingroup$ Or wait awhile and ping the moderator to ask for it to be re-opened. "Awhile" usually means "once the danger of somebody turning this in for homework passes," which is probably at least several weeks. $\endgroup$
    – tpg2114
    Apr 18, 2020 at 16:11
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    $\begingroup$ Echoing @tpg2114, because OP could easily consult the revision history, it's not enough/too late to edit down your answer and take out some details. $\endgroup$
    – Qmechanic Mod
    Apr 18, 2020 at 16:21
  • $\begingroup$ They didn't get the memo at Mathematics $\endgroup$
    – Peter Mortensen
    Apr 18, 2020 at 16:45
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    $\begingroup$ @tpg2114 But isn't there technically always the danger of someone else with the same question finding the PSE post with an answer that has been re-opened, and thus using that for their homework? $\endgroup$
    – BioPhysicist
    Apr 18, 2020 at 17:56
  • $\begingroup$ @AaronStevens There is. I don't know that there is really anything we can do about that though -- our policy is a compromise between a lot of people over time, and "temporarily deleted" was the result of that. But it's left vague enough that we try to use our judgement on what is a reasonable "temporary" length of time. $\endgroup$
    – tpg2114
    Apr 18, 2020 at 18:15
  • $\begingroup$ @AaronStevens See this post for example. It's kind of the only guidance we've worked out. $\endgroup$
    – tpg2114
    Apr 18, 2020 at 18:16
  • $\begingroup$ @tpg2114 I've been on the receiving end of that and while it is frustrating because the policy is not uniformly applied most of the blatant abuses are curbed and it's more or less working ok. $\endgroup$
    – ZeroTheHero
    Apr 18, 2020 at 18:18
  • $\begingroup$ @tpg2114 Is there an option to reopen answers that contain solutions because of the reason stated in this post? Because a user might have worked hard on the answer? I guess I don't understand the motivation behind having an option to reopen a solution answer. PSE doesn't want to be a homework help site, so why allow solution answers to be reopened? $\endgroup$
    – BioPhysicist
    Apr 18, 2020 at 19:54
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    $\begingroup$ @aaronstevens The way we treat homework is specific to our site, so there are no tools in place to support that. The only mechanism is for the answer op to raise a flag after a sufficient amount of time passes and ask. As for why we do that, again, it's the result of a very long set of compromises - it's trying to walk the line between people who see value in excercises answered here and those who don't want to aid cheating. It isn't a perfect policy or a perfect system, but then again, few policies based on compromise are perfect. $\endgroup$
    – tpg2114
    Apr 18, 2020 at 20:22
  • $\begingroup$ @tpg2114 ... and you know in these days of online finals and so much plagiarism: hold the line. If there is cause to undelete this question it can be re-examined later. $\endgroup$
    – ZeroTheHero
    Apr 18, 2020 at 20:24
  • $\begingroup$ @AaronStevens For what it's worth, requests to restore "temporarily deleted" answers (like this one) nearly always happen right after the answer is deleted. For a user to wait a couple weeks and raise a flag happens so seldom that it's not a good starting point for shaping policy. $\endgroup$
    – rob Mod
    Apr 18, 2020 at 21:24
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    $\begingroup$ done I changed it $\endgroup$
    – tryst with freedom
    Apr 18, 2020 at 22:15
  • $\begingroup$ Note that this question is about an answer being deleted, not closed. Answers can't be closed or reopened, that only happens to questions. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Apr 19, 2020 at 1:03
  • $\begingroup$ @tpg2114 Is your aim to prevent OP from reading a complete answer, or anybody who come to the question? As recently my answer was deleted, but before getting deleted it was already read by OP (I know because OP commented on my answer). So, I think, keeping it deleted is of no use now as undeleting it now or in future is same. If your aim is to prevent anyone who come to the question, then undeleting it in future don't make sense. {PS - still, I have edited the answer, to just give hint.} $\endgroup$
    – TontyTon
    Apr 25, 2020 at 18:04
  • $\begingroup$ @TontyTon Ultimately, the goal would be for people to follow the homework policy by not posting complete answers. But, when complete answers end up posted, the next goal is delete them temporarily -- ideally before OP can read it/copy it down/etc.. Since we're trying to prevent somebody from just copying down the answer and turning it in, it's worth temporarily removing even if it seems they read it (because maybe they didn't copy it down yet). $\endgroup$
    – tpg2114
    Apr 25, 2020 at 19:22

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